Published on 05 Jul 2021

Academics: There is no systemic racism in the country as a whole

Some national policies relating to race, such as the racial ratios in HDB flats, may be implemented in a way that produces some unintended marginalization, but overall, there is no systemic racism in the country, and no deliberate exclusion of one ethnic group through the system.

NTU Public Policy and Global Affairs Asst Prof Walid Jumblatt said, “This policy affects minority communities economically, but it also has a positive effect in that it promotes social integration.”  

Dr Shashi Jayakumar, Head of Centre of Excellence for National Security at RSIS, suggested: "HDB could make public some past cases so that people know what kind of help the authorities are willing to give, and so that more people understand that the policy is not intended to harm anyone, but to avoid the formation of racial ghettos."

Photo: Hu Chen on Unsplash